:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61651749/1043819700.jpg.0.jpg)
We’re back with another week of NFL picks from The Falcoholic staff, our guest pickers, and our resident dog picker, because we are very serious journalists.
For the first time this season, the confidence this staff has in the team is starting to wane. We’re split this week on the outcome against Pittsburgh. I don’t enjoy picking against the Falcons, and I’m sure my friends here at the site agree with me. In fact, I hate it. I’m also not all that great at picks, as is evidenced by my sub-.500 overall record, so I kind of hope I’m reverse-jinxing them with a Steelers pick this week.
We’re into bye weeks now, and the Bucs are off this week, which leaves us with just four games to pick. Everyone but my dog is rolling with the Patriots over the Colts — but Baxter was also the only picker who correctly predicted the Lions’ win over the Patriots a couple of weeks ago, so we’ll see.
The Panthers face the Giants, and we may not want the Panthers to win, but, well, it’s the Giants. Everyone but Kendall Jackson is going with Carolina. And the Saints have Washington on the schedule this week. Again, nobody wants the Saints to succeed at anything at any time, but in the interest of being realistic, plenty of our staff is picking them to win this one.
My dog is just trying to make me mad with his picks at this point. He picked against the Falcons AGAIN. He picked the Colts, as I mentioned, despite the fact that his dad is a Patriots fan (although to be fair, it will be pretty great if the Colts win). And he picked Atlanta’s NFC South rivals, the Panthers and the Saints, even though those are garbage teams and nobody wants them to win.
We all had a bounce-back week last week after a weird week of football in Week 3 led to everyone but Baxter posting sub-.500 results for the week. Here’s hoping the Falcons actually have a bounce-back week this week against the Steelers.
Our reader guest picker this week is FalconEEr, and we’re also joined by our frenemy Jeff Hartman from SB Nation’s Steelers site, Behind the Steel Curtain. Check out the site for expert takes on the Steelers before Sunday’s game.
Here are all of our picks for this week.
NFL Picks, Week 5
| Name | Last week | Overall | ATL vs. PIT | IND vs. NE | NYG vs. CAR | WAS vs. NO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Last week | Overall | ATL vs. PIT | IND vs. NE | NYG vs. CAR | WAS vs. NO |
| DW | 4-2 | 9-14 | Falcons | Patriots | Panthers | Washington |
| Jeanna | 4-2 | 11-12 | Steelers | Patriots | Panthers | Washington |
| Matt | 3-3 | 10-13 | Falcons | Patriots | Panthers | Saints |
| Cory Woodroof | 2-4 | 12-11 | Falcons | Patriots | Panthers | Saints |
| Kevin Knight | 5-1 | 13-10 | Steelers | Patriots | Panthers | Saints |
| David T. Choatington | 4-2 | 13-10 | Steelers | Patriots | Panthers | Saints |
| Adnan | 4-2 | 13-10 | Steelers | Patriots | Panthers | Washington |
| Carter Breazeale | 4-2 | 13-10 | Steelers | Patriots | Panthers | Saints |
| Kenny | 2-4 | 7-16 | Falcons | Patriots | Giants | Washington |
| James | 3-3 | 6-17 | Falcons | Patriots | Panthers | Saints |
| Eric Robinson | 3-3 | 3-20 | Steelers | Patriots | Giants | Saints |
| Kyle McClendon | 3-3 | 12-11 | Steelers | Patriots | Panthers | Saints |
| Guest picker: Jeff Hartman | 5-1 | 14-9 | Steelers | Patriots | Panthers | Saints |
| Guest picker: FalconEEr | 4-2 | 7-16 | Falcons | Patriots | Panthers | Saints |
| Dog picker: Baxter Thomas | 3-3 | 11-12 | Steelers | Colts | Panthers | Saints |
If you want to join us next week as a guest picker, submit your picks in the comments.